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Thursday, 19 December 2013

Jabs and firsts

I felt like what I imagine a proud mummy feels today. I spent all morning worrying about how Rio was going to react with the vet this morning for his final injection, and need I have woken up half an hour before my alarm went off at 5.55am? No. Did he bat an eyelid between mouthfuls of hay? No. I started to tell him what a good boy he had been then decided there wasn't much point in overdoing it as he clearly was not bothered in the slightest! What a little trooper.

We are getting somewhere with leading now, Rio kept walking behind me when we first got him home and has struggled a little to understand personal space. However, for the most part, he is now "getting" that he should be walking alongside me, and I even throw in the odd stop whilst we are walking, which he is very good at responding to (as long as he's not busy snouting at something three fields away at the time!) It's the small things like this that I take much enjoyment in at the moment. We are not going to be doing walk-canter transitions, travers or jumping 3 foot jumps any time soon but I revel in the hopeful thought that one day these small things will amount to wonderful personal achievements for the two of us. Baby steps for my baby boy! (and me!)

I almost let him back out in the field with no rug after the vet had visited, but opted to instead put him out in his lightweight rug as the weather today was a little milder. I was more than happy that this meant that I would have to pay him a third visit of the day after work and got hubby to come along with me to meet him for the first time - he couldn't stay out in his lightweight all night after all! Now I feel bad as the rain is hammering down and I've not repaired the little rip. So much for rip resistance! Any tips on rug repairs gratefully received as ideally I want to repair it and put it straight back on him - no long drying glues!

Does your pony live in or out? I would dearly love to go down and take him in and tuck him up in his stable on nights like this, but I know he doesn't like being in on his own and nobody else comes in on my side of the yard! Just as well really, or he would be like a pampered pooch... Who am I kidding?? He will be anyway!